


Hanahaki Disease

by BoWritesStuff



Series: Hanahaki AU [1]
Category: Game Grumps
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 08:45:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15703794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoWritesStuff/pseuds/BoWritesStuff





	Hanahaki Disease

He shouldn’t keep doing this, Dan thinks to himself. 

Correction, he can’t keep doing this. He heaves again, leaning over the rim of the toilet, choking and coughing. Tears immediately start welling up in his eyes again, and the burning sensation in his throat flares up. The only thought that could comfort him is the fact that no one is around to see him like this. 

But then again, no one is here to help him either. The thought lingers in his head for a few moments, and he heaves again. His chest feels too tight for his heart, and the air was raspy in his lungs. His head is pounding and his vision is blurry. A flash of bright color catches his eye and before he can even try to ignore it, he recognizes what it was. 

Velvety, deep blue colored flower petals float on the surface of the water. Danny is just barely able to process this fact before angrily gritting his teeth and turning away. How long has it been since this first started? 

Maybe a little more than two years. When Dan and Arin first met it was like… something just clicked. Something in their brains just knew and understood that they were perfect for each other, and they took off with it. Dan loved working with Arin, getting to know him, playing video games with him. 

And not too long after that, Dan loved him as well. 

This might not have been that big of a problem, Dan thought at the time. After all, Arin was one of the most open minded guys that he’s met, and he certainly wasn’t afraid of talking about his sexuality. For a moment, Dan thought he had a chance. 

But then Arin introduced him to Suzy. Suzy and Arin were perfect together. Where one failed, the other one succeeded, where one was weak, the other was strong. And they fit together just the same as Dan and Arin did. 

So Dan pushed away his feelings. It was selfish of him to even think about it anymore. After all, Dan was someone Arin worked with. Suzy was his wife. Not only was it greedy and selfish to tell Arin and put him in that position, but it was obvious who Arin would choose. Suzy was his wife.

And Dan? Just a friend. 

A few months passed, and every time Arin would joke about kissing, or get too close to him on the couch, or suddenly hug him, Dan’s heart would speed up and pound in his chest. He tried to ignore it and push it back but it was almost like Arin was inviting him. Taunting him. 

The first time it happened, Danny was screaming. At first he thought it might be something he ate, his chest was aching and his stomach was turning the entire day. But then when he got home, he threw up. Barry was with him, and when Dan finally collected his thought enough to realize what was happening, he screamed. Barry was equally lost, but he tried him best to calm Dan down. Why flowers? What was wrong? Danny was gagging and choking on them, and he felt sure that he was going to die. And slowly, over the course of an hour, Dan managed to stop.

Immediately after that, Barry and Dan looked up a simple, and straightforward question. 

“why am i throwing up flowers?”

Immediately, articles about an ancient disease popped up. Barry read it out loud to him. A Japanese disease that is caused by unrequited love. After that, Danny stopped listening. Apparently it’s an uncommon disease, and often fatal. 

He was sick and depressed for the next week. He didn’t want to go to work. He didn’t want to look at Arin. Arin didn’t love him. And Dan did. It was undeniable now. 

He didn’t want to see Arin again. What if he broke? What if he told Arin. What would happen? To Arin? To Suzy? Their marriage? What would happen to Dan if Arin rejected him? Would he die even faster?

He kept it a secret for as long as he could. He tried to play off the weight loss as just a normal thing, and the disease could be managed as long as Dan could keep his brain and heart in check. 

But it was constant. Nearly every night, half acid burned flower petals would flutter down around him. It would leave him crying and coughing for the next few hours as the remnants of leaves and stems and petals would come up from his lungs and stomach.

Two years ago this began. And Dan was starting to fear it would all come to an end soon. He was getting weaker every day, and he could tell that no one in the office believed his excuses anymore. On a few occasions, people would drag him to the side to ask if he was alright. If he needed help. If he needed to talk. He would shook his head and smile. 

There was one time where Arin asked. When he sat down with Dan on one of the few days that the office was empty and they were left alone to record videos. 

“You know I love you right?” And those words were like sunlight and water to the flowers in his lungs. They bloomed and rooted into his mind and their thorns stabbed him in the heart. 

“Of course.” Dan said after a moment, trying to catch his breath. 

“And I would do anything for you,” Arin continued, carefully watching Dan’s face. Dan wasn’t even able to reply. His hands were clenched and his teeth gritted and every fiber of his being was focused on making sure that he didn’t retch up those flowers. He nodded. “I think something might be wrong with you Dan. I want to help.” 

After that, the flowers got much worse. That was only a few weeks ago. Now, his health has really started to decline. He called a helpline a while ago, and the poor lady on the other side had to tell him that there was no cure. They could possibly try to surgically remove the flowers, but they would sprout back and regrow. Dan thanked her and hung up. Then he cried. 

He’s going to die. And it’s going to happen soon. He looks at his forearms. Blue veins map out his body under his skin, so close to the surface. He can see every tendon and ligament shift under his skin as he balls his hands into fists. 

He’s going to die tomorrow. He has the feeling, deep in his stomach, where butterflies linger among the flowers. 

He’s going to die. 

He ignores the thought, drinks some water, and tries to get some sleep. 

The next day, he can feel it. Something very, very primal in him is screaming for him to run away, to claw out this horrible thing inside of him. Something very, very thin is keeping him tethered to life. 

And he can feel it about to snap. 

He drives to work, extra careful in the busy traffic. He can imagine how fragile his bones are by now. What if he was to get into a car accident? There would be no way for him to survive. 

He reaches the office, wheezing and his vision already starting to bloom black and purple splotches. He stumbles in, leaning on the wall for support. He can hear muffled voices not too far away. 

Then he slips. The voices hush and the scramble of feet on wooden floor gets louder. 

“Dan! Oh my god!” 

“What happened?” 

“Are you alright?” 

Dan can’t make out the voices, but he can tell that he’s safe now. He can’t even attempt to get up, and when they do help him sit up, there’s muttering and gasping. How had they not noticed how weak and thin Dan had been lately? 

“I’ll call an ambulance.” Ross says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He has a tense, worried look on his face. Suzy’s face comes into focus as well, her caring and fierce expression. 

“Don’t you die on me Dan.” she mutters. 

Then Arin. Arin, crouched near him, holding his hand. 

“You’re gonna be okay dude. You’re gonna be alright.” 

Immediately, Dan starts to cough. The irritating tickle at the back of his throat makes him cough, deep and raspy. Everyone around him flinches, then stares wide eyed. 

Blue flower petals. Ross’s voice gets louder. 

“Yeah, he just threw up flower petals. What? What!” Ross is shouting, and all eyes are either on Dan or Ross. Suzy, even though she was caught off guard, is immediately trying to get him comfortable. She brushes the petals off of him and rubs his back, shooting a look at Ross. His face goes pale, and he hangs up. 

“They’re sending an ambulance.” he says, his eyes blurry and teared up. Suzy can hear the hesitation in his voice. 

“But what?” Arin asks, still holding onto his hand. 

“But there’s nothing they can do for him.” Ross whispers. The room goes deadly quiet. 

“What?” 

“It’s something, I don’t know what they said but-” 

“Hanahaki disease,” Dan whispers, “When you throw up flowers due to… unrequited love.” Ross looks from Dan to Arin, than back to Dan. 

Oh. 

Suzy glances up at Ross, and the way that his eyes moves from one man to the other tells her all she needs to know. 

“Dan are you?” she doesn’t finish the sentence. Dan nods. “Do you want Ross and I to… leave the room? We’ll stay near.” Suzy quickly adds. Arin looks at the two of them. 

“What? Of course not-” Arin’s voice is high and panicked, but Suzy shoots him a sad look and he goes quiet. 

“Yes. Please.” Dan wheezes. Suzy and Ross nod, looking over their shoulder as they cross the living room to the nearby recording studio. They hesitate, both of them watching Dan’s chest move as he breathes. This very well be the last time they see him alive. 

“Dan, what’s going on? Why did they leave? What’s happening to you?” Arin’s voice goes into a frenzied high pitch. 

“Unrequited love.” Dan manages to say. It doesn’t hit him for a few moments. 

“Me?” 

“Of course you-” Dan’s words are cut off by another coughing fit and he can just barely manage to catch his breath. 

“Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you tell me?” Arin’s sniffles makes his words slurred and breathy. 

“You and Suzy-”  
“We’re married, but I can still love other people. God, if there a way to stop this? Like, if I… I don’t know!” Arin starts to shout, his hands shaking, carefully holding Dan’s thin frame upright. 

“You can fall in love with me,” Dan says with a goofy smile, “That’s the best you can do.” 

“But of course I love you!” Arin shouts, scared at how thin and cold Dan’s hand is. 

Just not enough. Dan thinks, his lashes fluttering. Arin’s words start to blur and fade in his mind, and the darkness that lined his vision swallows it up whole. 

No. Arin did love me. Just not in the right way.


End file.
